Process for hardening aluminum



HACHIG M. BULUCKIAN, OF CLEVELAND, GHIO.

PROCESS FOR- HARDENING ALUMINUM.

No Drawing. a

To all whoa/'2. it may concern:

Be it known that I, Hacmc M. BULUCK- IAN, a citizen of Armenia, having declared my intention to become a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Cleveland in the county of Cuyahoga and State of (ihio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes for Hardening Aluminum, of which the following is a specification.

Aluminum (A1) of commerce is a rather soft white metal of low specific gravity melting at 655 C. and because of its exceedingly low specific gravity, the same is especially serviceable where lightness in weight is a requisite, such as aeroplane use as well as boats, automobiles, and many other articles, the metal being capable of a high polish. The softness of aluminum and its weakness in standing strains, has long been a drawback in preventing such use as the sacrifice of strength for lightness is impossible in construction work.

The primary object of my invention therefore, is the provision of a process for treating aluminiun, whereby the pure aluminum of commerce testing approximately 99.9% pure and at about (scleroscope test) 1 for hardness is increased in hardness to test at nearly 12 without the addition of alloying metals. The production of aluminum alloys increases the weight of pure aluminum proportional to the amount of the alloy which is added while my invention increases the hardness of aluminum 300% no addition is made to the weight, no metal alloys are used, nor chemicals as such employed.

This being the general object of my invention, the same will now be fully described, using as a manner of illustration one formula employed for increasing the hardness of aluminum from 4 to 12 under scientific tests, it being understood that minor changes may be made in the described process in the exact proportion of the ingredients or the use of equivalents without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as claimed.

First, pure commercial aluminum is incled and thereto is added substantially 1/64lth by bull: of gum-glutin preferably in Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 31, 1919.

Patented Apr. 13, iee'o. Serial No. 301,083.

powdered form and having great adhesive strength. This gum-glutin is the roots of numerous plants of the Acacia family mostly native in Egypt, Armenia, and Turkey, where the same is very cheap but also found to a slight extent in America, Where it is higher in price. The acacia roots are ground or powdered into meal or flour and a small quantity of the powder is added to the batch of molten aluminum producing a bubbling whereby the gum-glutin affects the entire mass. In a quantity of 8 ounces melted aluminum the admixture of 1/8th ounce acacia root flour is practicable. Gumglutin may be also advantageously em ployed in powdered form produced from roots of other plants and vegetation native in Egypt, Armenia and Turkey such as reeds and rushes.

Second, a small flake of oyster shell is added to the molten batch, the amount necessary for the 8 ounces of aluminum above noted, being a thin flake 1 /4th inch in diameter of any variety of oyster shell. This addition causes the mass to bubble throughout, so oyster shell affects the entire quantity.

Third, gum arabic is added to the batch in a quantity substantially twice the size of the oyster shell and this becomes mixed with the entire batch.

Upon completion or" such mixture, the batch is allowed to cool and upon reaching the temperature oi the atmosphere, the aidininum will be substantially three times e hardness of the pure aluminum bein treaa ed. Only the elements herein stated have been added to the pure aluminum and in small quantities not detracting from the purity oi the metal which I ains unalloyed with its original purity upon completion of the process possessing a testing strength of 12. V i

The sequence or" the steps may be changed at will, as to the addition of giun-glutin powder, oyster shell, and gum-arabic to the melted pure aluminum. The pure aluminum so treated by the preferred form of my process, loses none of its original properties, oi lightness in weight, capacity for finish, notreadily oxidized by air, nor corroded by organic acids.

that the properties of the V 2 V ,i V 1,336,420 a V, or

Having thus described my invention What consisting in melting aluminum adding I claim as new and desire to secure by Letthereto substantially 1/ 64th of the quantity 10 ters Patent is of flour produced from gum-glutin plant LA 7 process for hardening aluminum roots and a flake of oyster shell and a quan .5 consisting in adding gum-glutin, oyster tity of gum arabic substantially double the shell and gum arabic to molten pure alumisize of the shell flake.

num. In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature. 15

2. A process of the character described, 3 HACHIG M. BULUCKIAN. 

